The countdown is on for those looking to attend this year’s International Retail Design Conference (IRDC), taking place in New Orleans on September 5-8. You can still buy tickets here.

Retail-Insider readers receive a $250 USD savings off the full-conference rate just by using the discount code RETAIL2017 during the registration process. This promo code is effective through September 5th.

Presented annually by VMSD (Visual Merchandising + Store Design) magazine, this one-of-a-kind conference is three days of design dialogue centred on best practices, evolving trends and fresh strategies for engaging shoppers and maximizing resources, and is recognized as the premier educational and networking event for the store design and visual merchandising community.

*(Photo: New orleans Convention & visitor's bureau)*

There will be more than 400 attendees from around the world, and Canadians are encouraged to come down to New Orleans to attend the IRDC event. Book a flight and visit the city, affectionately known as 'The Big Easy’, that offers a unique mix of African, Native American, Spanish and French cultures that are reflected through its people, music, art and food, and makes for a destination filled with energy and inspiration. It also has terrific architecture, unlike any other place in the United States.

Canadians have provided kudos for past IRDC events, including:

“As a retailer attending for the first time, I found the educational sessions very worthwhile and definitely left me with lots of great ideas. The opportunity to network with movers and shakers in the industry was hugely beneficial and I made some great connections.”– RBC Royal Bank, and

“IRDC was an excellent opportunity to meet with other retailers and share what we’re all working on, what challenges we’re having and where we’re having success. The large variety of seminars was excellent, as it gave everyone the option of choosing what was more pertinent to them.”- Kit & Ace

*(Photo: Ritz Carlton Hotel New Orleans)*

The 2017 conference program also features sessions on such timely topics as designing the brand experience; creating experiential spaces; selling innovation through the organization; designing for a sustainable future; international retail design; and many more cutting-edge issues. Additionally, this year’s event will feature more interactivity, including more panel discussions, more engagement with IRDC presenters, and added networking opportunities to connect with retail design peers.

Speakers at IRDC 2017 include retail design leaders from Hudson Jeans, Cadillac, REI, Whole Foods Market, Capital One, CB2, The Kroger Co., SoulCycle, Hallmark, Indochino, The Source, Vino Volo, Ariat, and more. IRDC Speakers will share perspectives and strategies for creating disruptively good brick-and-mortar experiences.

To REGISTER, as well as for more information on speakers, sessions, networking events, sponsors and the conference hotel (The Ritz-Carlton New Orleans), visit: www.IRDConline.com and remember, Retail-Insider readers receive a $250 USD savings off the full-conference rate just by using the discount code RETAIL2017 during the registration process. This promo code is effective through September 5th.

Canadian Retail News From Around The Web: August 21, 2017

[Sponsored. To work with Retail Insider, email: craig@retail-insider.com]